The gospel on celebrity and pop culture

John Hawkes is well known in the world of independent film, but when he received an Academy Award nomination this year for his supporting role in "Winter's Bone," his profile in Hollywood rose dramatically.

Hawkes has made no secret on the awards trail this season of saying he's a private person who prefers not to talk about himself. But when we caught up with him Saturday on the red carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards, where he was also nominated for supporting male, the actor said he'd begun to change his tune.

"It's growing on me, over time," he admitted. "It's been so amazing to have a piece of paper that tells you where you have to be every day and what you have to do. It's been kind of handy. It takes the thought out of the whole process."

So what will he do without the constant luncheons and parties?

"I suspect a piece of me will miss it," he said, smiling. "It's nice having people tell you you're good."

Hawkes may have warmed up to the idea of celebrity, but don't expect to see him in a blockbuster anytime soon. The independent film world, he said, is "mostly where [he] belongs."

"Usually it's where the better stories are, I feel like," he said. "It's not people guessing about what the audience might like, as opposed to making the film they want to make. And that's what I want to be caught up in."